Description of the attraction
Chiesa degli Olandezi - The Dutch Church is a rare example of neo-Gothic architecture in Livorno, reflecting the mixing of different cultures throughout the city's history. This Protestant church, designed by the architect Dario Giacomelli and built in 1862-64, stands in Scali degli Olandezi between the squares of Piazza Cavour and Piazza della Repubblica.
The first reliable records of Dutch and German communities in Livorno date back to the early 17th century, when a Dutch-German congregation was formed. At first, members of these communities adhered to the Catholic cult and even had their own altar in the Church of the Virgin Mary, like many other communities. However, later, with the increase in the number of parishioners, the congregation needed a separate church to conduct its own rituals. For many years, these rituals were performed in a small building on Via del Consiglio. After the unification of Italy in the middle of the 19th century, a competition was announced to create a project for a full-fledged temple, which was won by Dario Giacomelli.
In the 1960s, the Dutch-German congregation ceased to exist, and this was the main reason why the building of the temple began to gradually decline. Descendants of the former members of the congregation tried to support the church for a time, but their efforts were not enough to prevent the construction of an apartment building immediately behind the temple or the demolition of church spiers for security reasons.
By 1996, the interior of the Dutch Church was partially flooded, the walls could collapse at any moment, and the huge glass windows were smashed to smithereens. In 1997, the Dutch-German congregation was formed again, and immediately a project was born to restore the temple and turn it not only into a religious place, but also into a cultural center. It must be said that even after the Second World War, this building, known for its excellent acoustics, was sometimes used as a concert hall. True, his organ, one of the best in Tuscany, was subsequently stolen. With the advent of the new millennium, the roof of the church was partially repaired, and new glass appeared in the window openings, but already in 2005, part of the vaults of the church collapsed. Another collapse happened in 2008. Today the Dutch Church is in a dismal state and therefore closed to the public.
